Conversation Hearts
by LadyZotalot
Summary: Kon's life is told thru a collection of his unrequited crushes. Ch 4 and 5: Superboy, Robin, KF, and Roy fight Clock King. Meanwhile, Conner is turned on by rage and has a crush on Hawkgirl? GL? Roy? This can't end well. Leave new ship suggestions please.
1. Green Means Go

**Green Arrow and Black Canary: Green Means Go**

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><p>The borrowed motorbike spurred to life as the light turned green. <em>Green...<em> Conner watched the green clothed man a block ahead of him. He was laughing at the blonde woman holding onto his torso.

Superboy didn't know why he was following Green Arrow and Black Canary through the winding streets of Star City. He really didn't know. Conner eyed Black Canary as she leaned into her driver, her body pressed tightly against his muscled back.

She reached one hand out to play with the archer's silky goatee. Conner gripped the handlebars tighter. He followed them for the greater part of a hour before he lost them around a corner.

With nothing left to do, he went home to the cave. He tried to get some sleep. He saw the happy couple driving on in his dreams. _Green..._

* * *

><p>"Superboy," Green Arrow's sardonic voice calls out.<p>

Conner stops in his tracks. He breaths deep and relaxes the fists that he is forming. He waits for Arrow to walk around him until they are face to face.

"Is there something you need?" Superboy asks, no more emotion in his voice than his normal caustic attitude.

Green Arrow raises an eyebrow at the clone.

"Maybe I should be asking you the same thing," Ollie says.

Conner frowns.

"I don't understand." Superboy counts the arrows in Queen's quiver.

"I think I do," Ollie proclaims. He itches his goatee. "Kid, I saw you following us last night." The archer looks around the open space of the media room. "We should talk somewhere more..." he gestures to the room ",private."

Superboy shrugs. His footfalls are the only sound as he follows the older hero to a dusty study. He folds his arms in front of his body and waits for Arrow to speak up.

The blonde plays with his beard some more. He huffs and throws his hands away from his face.

He starts pulling off his hood, then his quiver, then, finally, his mask.

Superboy focuses on the man's eyes. _Green eyed.._

"Sorry," Queen says. "Sometimes, I just want to look at who I'm talking to without the pretenses. You know?"

Superboy doesn't have a clue what Queen means. The clone only ever talks to people without pretenses. He nods anyways.

Arrow smiles toothily in return.

"Good. Kid, Superboy...Conner. Like I was saying..." He rubs his goatee between two fingers again.

"I know you were following me last night and I think I know why," he tells the teen. Creases form in Superboy's forehead. He looks into Ollie's eyes. _Green eyed..._

"How can you know why I was following you. I don't even know why I was following you," Conner says. Ollie senses the long felt frustration in Superboy's words.

"It's okay, Conner. Every kid goes through some sort of confusion with figuring out their feelings. It's normal." Ollie tries to comfort the teen. He lightly places a hand on Superboy's shoulder.

"I'm sure if you stop to think about it again you'll be able to figure it out," Queen advises. He waits for Superboy to respond.

Superboy looks down from Queen's laughing eyes. He doesn't like being look at like a stupid kid. He stares at the goatee Ollie has returned to stroking. Something clicks in Conner's head.

"It's your," he motions to the archer's facial hair, "that." Ollie blinks and lets his fingers slip away from his face.

"What? What does my goatee have to do with Di-" Superboy cuts him off by muffling the older hero with a large palm.

Superboy lowers his hand and reaches Green Arrow's goatee. He runs his fingers through the tufts of hair the same way he's seen Dinah and Ollie do.

Conner lets go abruptly. He looks over his fingers and rubs them together as if reliving the sensation.

"I understand the attraction," Superboy concludes after a moment. Ollie's green eyes bulge.

"You what?" Green Arrow sputters. He almost loses his balance but Conner reaches out and steadies him with a firm grasp on the older man's shoulders.

Superboy doesn't let go.

Oliver has noticed before that Conner tends to invade personal space longer than socially acceptable. In the past, Ollie thought that the kid was just new to the idea of social norms, being a clone and all. Now, Ollie wonders if the boy lingers for another more distressing reason.

He pushes away the teen's support.

"Uh, Superboy," he starts. "I, erm, I'm flattered, but..." he trails off. Superboy picks up the slack.

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm going to do anything about it. That would be silly," Superboy says. Ollie's eyes twitch. He laughs nervously.

"Thank God for small miracles," Ollie whispers.

Superboy picks up the muttering with his super-hearing. He rubs his chin, contemplating.

"You really think it be that bad?" he asks, innocently. Ollie looks alarmed again. Superboy quickly tries to calm him down.

"I appreciate your opinion... sir. If you say I'd look completely silly with one then I'll close the door on it altogether."

Green Arrow pauses and processes what Superboy has just said. First, Ollie was sure Superboy was crushing on Dinah. Then, it seemed like the kid was jealous over him. Was hitting on him even. And now what is Conner saying? Getting one? Huh?

Ollie unconsciously rubs his goatee once more. Something clicks in his mind. He laughs.

"You mean my goatee? You're not going to get one of them because it would look silly on you?" he asks. It's more of a rhetorical question.

Superboy answers anyways.

"Right," he says. "It wouldn't work on my face..." He shrugs as if giving up on the conversation and turns to leave. "So, I'm going to go, Arrow." He yells on the way out the door. "Thanks for the talk. I believe I'm thinking clearly now."

Ollie waves the teen off. As he collects his quiver and replaces his mask, Oliver remembers why he started this conversation with Conner. He never did get to the real reason why Superboy had been following him last night. He remembers what Superboy said before he left: I'm thinking clearly now.

Briefly, Green Arrow thinks he should go find Superboy and ask him what he decided was his real motivation. Then he relives the awkward conversation he just had. Arrow chooses to never bring any of this up ever again.

* * *

><p>Superboy tosses and turns that night. Not getting any sleep, the boy looks around his room. He inspects the blobs of eggshell white that cover the new drywall.<p>

Red Tornado has forced him to patch the walls of his room himself each and every time he's struck a fist sized hole out of anger or frustration.

At first, he had repainted the spots with care. He had picked different hues from browns and reds to blues and greens for repainting the entire room. Conner lost his patience for the repairs with each new patch job. He only buys plain white paint now and doesn't bother to repaint the entire wall, leaving unsightly blotches instead.

If he could stop punching the walls and causing messes then he would. He just can't stop.

He thought knowing the cause of his frustration would solve his problems or would cut down on paint costs at least.

He groans and picks himself out of bed. When Conner reaches the sink, he splashes cool water onto his weary face.

He looks at his hairless chin. He knows he would look entirely ridiculous with a goatee.

Even if Dinah likes them...it's not worth it. How could it work? She is...unattainable. He barely knows her. And she wants...someone else.

He trips over a can of paint on his way back to his bed. It's an old color from back when he cared about his choices. _Green..._

Superboy decides he is going to repaint the floor in the morning. Anything but green.

He replays his conversation with Green Arrow over in his head as he cleans up the split paint. Conner recalls how at first Queen was bemused. He claimed everyone went through this. He had been laughing in his green eyes. _Green eyed..._

Ollie made Conner think. He doesn't want to change himself for anyone, not even Canary.

Conner's glad he's thinking clearly now. Or, at least as clearly as he can with this thing banging at the walls of his mind. This animal that he cannot stop.

This_...Green eyed monster..._

This time green does not mean go.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Suggest a ship for Conner's crush in another chapter and I'll fill it. Het, slash, mentors, villains...it's all acceptable. Tim is involved in the last chapter so don't pick him.


	2. Sweet Tooth

**Megan: Sweet Tooth**

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><p>Conner doesn't like the way Megan blushes and giggles as she fluffs her pillow. Frankly, it bothers him whenever Megan blushes or giggles these days.<p>

It didn't before, back when he was sure she was blushing and giggling for him, but now he senses a change.

He sees how her eyes do not meet his when she laughs; there is a distant look in her gaze as if she is replacing his face with someone else who is too far away to be seen.

Conner links her strange behavior to the the accident, the one Roy saved her from. She must have bumped her head then. Roy never mentioned such an injury, but it's the only explanation for her wayward attentions.

Conner is a good friend to everyone, especially Megan, or at least he tries to be. According to Wally, friends don't let friends pretend that their injuries are less severe than they truly are. Conner has heard Wally argue to Robin about this almost every other mission. Robin gives in. He summits to the proper tests in order to keep Wally happy and secure. Wally says he doesn't know what he'd do if Rob wasn't okay.

Conner understands. He doesn't know what he'd do if Megan wasn't or rather _isn't_ okay. So he vows to take action. It's now or never.

* * *

><p>He follows Megan into her bedroom that night. She tilts her head at him but says nothing.<p>

He swings his arms up and down, placing them across his chest and then at his sides.

And then she laughs, wistfully, the way she's be doing since she hit her head; she doesn't laugh at his jerky movements or to break the ice. She laughs at some thing only she knows, as if she has some secret which is better with age like a fine wine.

She must have banged her head against something really hard like on pavement or steel or maybe even diamond.

Her plump cherry lips mash together as she holds in a squeal. She sighs airily and pats her fluffy heart-shaped cushion. Then she giggles.

Superboy wants to warn her now about his hypothesis that she is injured, but then she stands abruptly.

"Roy is stopping by," she mentions with a curl of a smile, "I have to go freshen up."

She makes her way into the adjoining bathroom and tosses cold water on her face.

Conner watches her as he sits at the foot of her flowery comforter.

She rearranges her hands with her shifting abilities into various hairdos. Conner coughs at a curling and voluptuous one that sets off her cheek bones.

"Uh..."

"What?" she asks.

"I said...it's good news he's going to be here soon," Conner calls out to her through the propped open door.

"Why's that?" Megan questions and she puts the final touches on her hairstyle.

Conner changes the subject as he realizes he only wants to speak with Roy so that he can shed some light on Megan's probable injury.

"So, you and Roy seem to be friends now," he says. Conner realizes that this new friendship works to his advantage. If Roy is really Megan's friend, then he will be on his side when it comes to the medical testing that Megan, like Robin, will insist on being unnecessary. Roy will have to admit that Megan just isn't herself anymore.

He waits quietly but can't help fidgeting. He looks to the pillow Megan was fluffing moments ago. The acid in his stomach rolls around as he glances suspiciously glares at the cushion. With a hunch, he picks it up.

Underneath he finds a well worn paper. Chicken scratch is sprawled across the red note card. He makes out a few words here and there:

_Thank you_..._tasted wonderful_..._we would love to_..._best cookies_..._do this again_...

Superboy's gut wrenches as he thinks about what this means. He glances towards the bathroom where Megan twirls around in different outfits. He doesn't like this new thought and what he hopes more than anything is that he is wrong.

He looks back down at the note in his hand and rubs at the ink of one mark. It could read:_ tooth_.

Conner remembers something then. His mind recalls a thought which he doesn't know the origin of. He remembers the tooth fairy.

It's some sort of game for children he recalls sketchily. You put something, Conner doesn't remember what exactly, under your pillow and then some sort of magical creature returns with something for you in return.

Could Megan has been playing this game? Maybe she made cookies for the fairy and then this note was the thank you which she earned.

Superboy knows magic is real, despite Wally's nay-saying, but isn't sure what to think of a fairy coming into Megan's room for such for a silly game. Isn't the base supposed to be secure? How can they trust this fairy to not hurt Megan's feelings because her cookies are so-so honestly or even decide she is too good to leave behind and steal her away to his hidden lair she's just that great honestly?

How could she slept with a dozen cookies under her pillow? Furthermore, why would the tooth fairy willingly eat tooth rotting sugar cookies?

Either Megan is happy because of an creepy fairy or because of her real life hero.

Superboy breathes deeply as he hopes that Wally is wrong and magic is real because, honestly, evil fairies are easier to face than the reality of Megan and...

Conner crumples the paper in frustration.

Megan runs by the bed towards the door. Her new curls bounce as she all but skips. Superboy needs to speak with her but is distracted by the strappy dress she wears.

"I...wanted to ask you something," he manages at last.

"I'm busy," she claims with an apologetic smile.

"Why?" he asks even though he doesn't truly want to hear the answer.

"Roy is coming," she reminds him. He hears her happiness in those three simple words.

"Can't he wait?"

She laughs that laugh that is not for him. "I wouldn't keep him waiting. That's rude!"

She smiles and blushes and turns to leave.

Conner follows her and her swishing dress as she leaves the base.

He sees the dust kicked up from the red motorcycle that M'gann jumps onto.

Roy hands her a helmet and they are off in a blur.

With his super-hearing, Conner makes out some of their words:

"thank you"..."tasted wonderful"..."we're going to"..."cookies"..."now"..."anything for you"...

Conner suddenly doesn't understand the phrase fairytale ending.

He wishes he had Roy's note to destroy once more.

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter was inspired by the art and mini-fill of kurairoxy. You can find her on tumblr.

Next chapter's ship is Artemis/Conner (Bowboy?)


	3. Where Did This Begin

**Artemis: Where Did This Begin?  
><strong>

* * *

><p>He's pinned to the floor by the body atop him. One of her long legs knocks against the small of his back as the other shoeless foot looks for purchase on the slippery floor.<p>

Conner traces back to where this all started.

It started from the first time he saw her wearing nothing but an over-sized 'I Heart Gotham' tee as pajamas.

* * *

><p>Artemis rolls over and yawns deeply. Her bare feet bump against her bedpost as she scoots to the foot of the bed. She pets the fat tomcat that rest there. He purrs as loud as a motorboat.<p>

"Is there something I can help you with?" Artemis questions the teen in the doorway.

"Uh..." Conner eyes the cat suspiciously. The cat hisses and leaps off the bed; it hides underneath an overstuffed recliner.

"Good job, bucko. You're not only well on your way to being a great public speaker, but you could also have a promising career as an animal whisper."

Conner frowns. He rests his hand on the door-frame and then removes it, as if to step into her room, only to change his mind; his fingers curl around the entryway once more.

Artemis stands up, the end of her tee wrinkling as she does so.

"Why are you here?" she asks Conner while patting out the crease-lines.

Conner doesn't like the way she doesn't look at him when she asks that question; it's almost like she's afraid to see the emotion behind his answer.

"I have no where else to go," Conner replies as evenly as possible. He drops his hand from the door and takes large, confident strides into her room.

Artemis' head snaps up at his reply. She's not qualified to help other people deal with his types of issues. She's never even met someone with Conner's type of issues. She prays to any god who will listen that there is somebody who _does_ understand him. For Conner's sake, that someone has to exist.

The tension in the room ebbs and flows as each teen debates what to say next.

"Woah," Artemis says at last. "I didn't mean here as in your place in the world." She meets his eyes and holds them. "But we could talk about _that_ if you want to?"

Conner balls his fists and backs away, returning to the door.

"Or we would completely avoid the conversation." Artemis pulls him away from the exit. Her hands are engulfed in his significantly larger ones."I'm all for pretending that things don't exist and don't hurt," she says as she they stare at their entwined palms. "It builds up your threshold for pain quite nicely."

Conner removes his hands from her grip and fills his pockets with them. He's not qualified to help other people deal with her type of issues. He's positive that there is nobody with her types of issues among the very limited number of people he knows.

He doesn't believe in a higher power; the Genomorphs said that all gods are normal meta-humans who were made into ultimate beings by the weak as a coping mechanism for our terrible world. Conner knows that gods exist but refuses to believe in any one of them. After all, Superman is close to becoming yet another god in the pantheon of the weak-minded.

Conner hopes for Artemis' sake that she doesn't believe in gods either; he doesn't want to think of her as weak-minded and he doesn't want to see her faith betrayed.

"Conner, why are you here in my room?" she asks finally.

"Wally sent me with a message."

"And why can't he just ask me himself?" the blonde asks.

"He's allergic to the cat."

"Oh..." She stands up and pulls the furry blob out of his hiding place. His claws nick the wood floors. "What was the message?"

"His message is 'I'm allergic to the cat'," he replies.

"Riveting stuff there, Kon. Bet you'd make a fine narrator for documentaries." She strokes the tomcat's back and it rolls over. "You can do a faux British accent, right?"

Superboy frowns.

"No? Never mind me then," Artemis says.

"Do...do you know what you are?" Conner asks with a contemplating squint of his eyes.

Artemis doesn't like the way he stares into her as he asks his question; she's afraid of an emotion which she doesn't even find in his gaze. She's afraid of pity or confusion or even boredom.

"You are just," he gestures to all of her as he looks for the right word, "...funny." She cocks a brow.

"And why's that?"

"You have a big fluffy cat named Figgins that you keep in our glorified clubhouse," Conner says. He tries to pet the aforementioned pet but it hisses whenever he moves his hand near.

"Well, you have a big shiny bowling-ball named Rolly who follows you into the bathroom."

Conner blinks rapidly. He didn't know that any one noticed that problem. Rolly is programmed to be just a tad too clingy.

"Touche." Conner rubs at his neck. "I really wish Rolly would stop following me everywhere."

"Huh. I really wish Figgins would learn how to flush," she says.

They've at last found a way to empathize with each other's brand of pain.

* * *

><p>No this wasn't right. This all started before that. The beginning was when he first opened a door for her.<p>

* * *

><p>"Yes?" Artemis leans against the door the boy has propped open with his elbow. "I see that," she points from the door to the room it lets out to, "it's open."<p>

"Then?" Conner motions for her to go first already.

"Don't suck up to me unless we're on a date," she orders.

Conner clamps down on his teeth and grinds them hard.

"Why would we," he bites his tongue by accident but likes the metallic taste of his blood, "be on a date?"

"It's a hypothetical, Conner," the blonde dismisses him breezily. She still makes no move to enter first.

"Fine." Conner smirks with an idea. "If your question is hypothetical than so is mine."

Conner has trapped her into answering. Artemis groans and pushes her head back against the door.

"We'd be on a double," she proclaims. "As in not together."

"Why would I try to impress you while I'm on a date with someone else?"

He laughs at her when she doesn't have an answer at hand. He's finally caught her off guard for once.

"I don't know!" she admits, thoroughly exasperated. "You're the one forcing me to make this all up on the fly."

"Answer the question, Artemis."

He won't let her get away with not answering. As Artemis looks for an answer she picks at the 'Must Wear Shoes In This Establishment At All Times' sticker; she reminds herself to never bring Kaldur here.

She tries to toss a speck of sticker from her skin but it only rolls down her hand the more she flicks it. Conner grabs her hand and wipes the sticky piece onto a napkin.

"Why would I try to impress you, Artemis?" Conner asks again.

"...Because I'm just that good," she answers gruffly. She jerks her hand away from his before his hand can stay stuck to hers like the paper which he just removed.

* * *

><p>That wasn't the beginning either. Not really. It was before that.<p>

It was when she was willing to tell him secrets instead of half truths.

* * *

><p>"It's a mirror. You pretend it's funny because you look even more ridiculous than normal in it," she explains. Her long pony-tail is impossibly longer in the fun-house mirror.<p>

"I don't normally look ridiculous," Conner retorts.

"Tell that," Artemis looks to the mirror in front of Conner, "to your reflection."

"Talking to myself _would_ make me look ridiculous." Conner rolls his eyes.

"I find it cathartic," the blonde replies with a loose tossing of her shoulders.

"What?"

Conner's expression is a mix between confusion and need. Artemis debates how much she should say. She sighs and lets it all out.

"It's like a diary but when you get angry and take your rage out on it...well breaking a mirror into a thousand pieces is a lot more calming than shredding some stupid paper," she admits.

"Oh," Conner says softly as he raps his knuckles against the mirror experimentally. "With paper you can burn it."

"Fire? I like the way you think." Artemis laughs and bites her lip in anticipation. "We're going to have so much fun when you get your heat vision."

Conner agrees wordlessly. He likes the way she says 'when' instead of 'if'.

"There will be bacon frying involved," Artemis adds as their stomachs growl.

"I like the way you think," he tells her, because it's the truth.

* * *

><p>No. That still wasn't it. The <em>true<em> beginning was when she explained the girl code.

* * *

><p>"Girl code?" he asks the blonde pulling him by the arm. Artemis nods as she directs him to hide with her behind a large potted ficus.<p>

"Yup. It's much better than the bro code."

"Why is that?"

"Because women made it up."

"Oh." He doesn't touch that answer with a ten foot pole. "So...what does the girl code say about _this_?"

She grabs his pointing finger and pushes it down back into hiding.

"The girl code says don't get caught doing_ this_," she hisses. "Watch where you point that thing, Conner."

"Fine," he growls. "It's not like they haven't noticed that we're following them by now. I've made eye-contact with Roy _at least_ four times."

Conner attempts to wave at the redhead to make his point. Artemis pushes his hand back down forcefully.

"I know that Roy knows...the bird he flipped me was a big clue... but as long as Megan _doesn't_ know then we're in the clear."

"Why hasn't Roy told her?" Conner wants to know.

"Because she wouldn't be mad at you. She'd think it's cute."

"Oh," Conner says mildly confused. Conner doesn't understand how following someone is anything other than an invasion of privacy. Ollie had thought as much before.

"Shit. I lost sight of them."

"Maybe they went in there?" He gestures to a dinner near Megan and Roy's last location. Artemis rolls her eyes.

"You're the one with the super-senses," she reminds. He scans the room with his super-hearing.

"He's not there and neither is Megan."

"Well, I guess," Artemis runs a hand through her hair, "that leaves me and you to our own devices."

Conner folds his hands into his pockets. He shifts feet.

"What should we do?" he asks. His hands push his jacket away from his sides as he shrugs.

"This place is fine," Artemis says motioning to the dinner.

"Okay. I'll get us a table."

"Sure," she says. She yells over to him as he leaves. "This isn't a date!"

"Of course not," he calls back.

"I would never do that to Megan," Artemis says as she jogs to catch up with her friend.

"She's with Roy."

"She still cares about you. Roy...it's a stupid gratitude crush. She'll move on to someone better."

Conner stops dead in his tracks. He frowns and looks at her over his shoulder.

"You... think I'm someone better?"

"Than _Roy_," she corrects. She opens the door for Conner and motions for him to enter first. He does. "Don't get the wrong idea. You and I can't be like that."

"Why?" Conner questions.

"According to the girl code, girls can't date each other's almost lovers."

She grabs him by the arm and drags him away from the table he was choosing. She picks a booth instead.

"Think of me as strictly off limits. That should help you get me out of your mind," Artemis advises.

She lets go of the boy's limb as they take their seats.

"If...if you say so," Conner replies.

* * *

><p>Superboy remembers all these times with her as her body holds him against the floor.<p>

Artemis presses Superboy further into the hold which she's locked him into.

"Just tell me where you put my cat," she says.

"Why would I steal your cat?"

"I don't know!"

He tosses her then and reverses the hold.

"Why would _you_ steal my bowling-ball?"

"I don't know..." She rolls her tongue across her lips. "Because I assumed you'd stolen my cat..."

He unlocks her from the hold. She brushes off the dirt.

"Rolly is teaching Figgins how to flush to toilet in that bathroom attached to the lounge," Conner explains.

"Now, that's something I want to see with my own two eyes."

"Reminds me of you," he says boldly.

He kisses her then, forcefully and desperately; it is the accumulation of wanting and not having for so long.

She pushes him away.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear _that_," she whispers as she backs out of his bedroom. She can't stay in his bedroom of all places right now. "I'm going to pretend you never did _that_."

She refuses to look him in the eye as she storms out of the room.

Conner bangs his fist against a blotchy purple (and blue and black and green) wall.

Artemis pretends that the things which hurt never happen, so Conner pretends that he truly doesn't feel this way.

He knows how this all happened and now he knows how it all ends.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** This chapter's ship was suggested by the wonderful GrayAreas. Your ship could be next if you just ask! Next ships are KonxRoy and KonxHawkwoman. This story will be told in multiple chapters.


	4. Red Hot Rage Part One

**Shayera and Roy: Red Hot Rage, Part One**

* * *

><p>"We have to do something amazing! It's on camera!" Kid Flash exclaims as if reminding his teammates yet again will change their opinions at last. He hops up and down as he speaks trying to see over the tall fence they're hiding behind.<p>

The brightly colored hero stops jumping and reaches out to grab Red Arrow's arm as he turns to leave. The moment his fingers brush against the skin of the older teen, Kid Flash finds himself slammed against the rough bark of the tree while the prodding tip of a bow rams in between his shoulder blades.

"Don't touch me, Kid," Red Arrow snarls as he wedges the bow deeper into his friend's back.

The other redhead lets out a disgruntled gasp. "Jesus! Spe-Red, you need to calm down like now!"

Red Arrow finds his dominating position reversed as a drop kick floors him. Roy's fall is quickly met with a hold from a well-toned forearm which suddenly pushes against his neck and knocks him face first onto the muddy ground. Roy spits out blades of grass as Superboy pushes him down.

"Don't touch my friends," Conner demands without bothering to voice a threat. He almost bites Robin's head off when the younger boy attempts to calm him down by resting a hand over his bicep.

"Superboy, it's okay. Red's just in a mood. He's mad we tagged along on his badass loner gig," Robin explains with a desperate voice. "He's your friend too."

Superboy reluctantly lets go of the other hero, trusting in the judgment of his friend who has known Red Arrow longer. "We didn't tag along. We followed the same leads," Kon points out. "Just because he was here first doesn't make the case his jurisdiction."

"Technically," Wally clicks his tongue, "we're all vigilantes who lack all rights to anything."

"Not helping, bro," Robin says softly as he picks off the grass sticking to Roy's costume. Red Arrow bats his hands away.

Conner growls deeply when the oldest hero touches Robin. He locks his eyes with Roy's masked pair and starts removing the grass from Roy's costume himself without any permission. Roy only manages a short huff in disapproval but otherwise endures Superboy's grooming.

Wally returns to arguing as everyone settles down. "Guys…this is a brilliant once in a million opportunity here." KF stands behind Robin and holds him by his shoulders. "We can be awesome! Show the whole world and the League that we are part of the big time. All we have to do is," Wally lets go of Robin in order to make a mock gun with his fingers which he shoots at the fence, "make the most dramatically amazing entrance over that fence!"

Robin groans loudly and shoots Wally behind his back with two play hand guns of his own. Conner stifles a laugh. Roy growls something that sounds suspiciously like '_kids_' and begins walking the long way around the park's fence.

"Well, fine. I'll come up with the plan and you," Robin targets his finger gun onto KF's insignia, "can shut up."

"What? No fair! I should pick. It's my idea in the first place," Kid Flash reasons.

Since Robin and Wally are too busy arguing back and forth, only Superboy is left to notice Red Arrow already taking action. Conner slowly drops the arms folded against his chest and, with one last glance at his bickering friends, follows Roy into the battle.

* * *

><p>Red Arrow doesn't have super-hearing, yet he begins talking to Superboy while he is still approaching as if he hears him coming from behind.<p>

"Clock King has three hostages hidden inside that," he points to the news van on his left, "vehicle. The other hostages are more obvious."

Kon quickly scans the plaza. Clock King stands before a cameraman, pushing his cane into the man's neck and ordering him to fix the feed so that they don't fall behind his perfect schedule.

Twelve hostages dressed in the numbers one through twelve are arranged on their backs around the gurgling fountain in the center of the park. Another hostage dressed in red is led by gun point around the circumference of the simulated clock face as if to represent a minute hand.

"That is," Superboy admits, "diffidently more obvious." Superboy crouches down next to Roy. "What's the plan?"

Red Arrow, for his part, at least attempts to hide his surprise that Superboy is willing to take his orders. He smirks smugly. "What? You're not going to make any big deal about leadership like the other kids?"

Conner shrugs. "I'm not a kid; besides, you have the most experience of the two of us."

Red Arrow nods at this assessment as he scans the hostage situation once more.

"Also," Superboy adds, "you seem to have a plan."

Roy cocks a brow. Conner wonders if such movements itch underneath his mask.

"You don't have a plan, then?" Red Arrow questions.

Conner shrugs again. "I'm here to hit things for the most part."

"Maybe I'm not the only hothead around, huh?" Roy says breezily as he stands up. "We're going to be as secretive as possible. Drama is the last thing we need in a hostage situation."

"Of course," Superboy says.

"I'll keep jamming the feed," he motions to the device which he had been planting as he crouched, "and that will distract King. Do you see anything interesting about the fountain?"

Superboy nods and glances over it once. He notices a hatch at the bottom of the rolling waters and layers of wishing coins. "There's a tunnel below. It leads to the controls underneath the staff building. What's it for?"

"The park uses it to maintain the steam jets and sprinklers for the kids to play with; _We_ are going to use it to take the guards out."

"That sounds good to me."

Roy holds a full fist towards Conner. Conner opens his palm and Roy drops his handful of capsules.

"What," Conner rolls the pellets around in his hand, "do these do?"

"I'm going to put them in the water system. It'll knock out everybody."

Kon tilts his head. "And I'll…"

"Go find the bomb and disarm it."

"There's a bomb?"

"Kid," Roy lightly taps the other hero's bicep, "there's _always _a bomb."

* * *

><p>Kid Flash and Robin are concocting their own course of action separately from Red Arrow and Superboy.<p>

"Wait. If I super speed away the minute hand hostage, what happens to the henchman with the gun?"

"That's what birdarangs are for," Robin says dismissively. "Just keep talking after you show your face while I hack the video feed. If we mess up his schedule he'll fall to pieces and the hostages will be fine."

"If you say so," Wally says with a shrug of his shoulders. "How much time do you think I'll have on TV?"

"Not an actual fifteen minutes of fame but it will have to do." Robin maps out the hostages and guards on his holo-display. "I'll disarm all five guards after I jump into the fountain from a grapple line."

"Why do you get the cooler entrance, man?"

"Because I'm the tactics expert here."

"Come on! You owe me for all you annoying chat-speak."

"I have perfectly eloquent chat-speak, KF."

"No way, Rob. You de-suffix words and then type the made up words without vowels! How the hell am I supposed to know that 'str' means 'aster' and not to go stir something?"

Robin rolls his eyes as he jumps off his perch on the fence.

"The complexity of my wordage must far surpass your humble mind."

"As if…do not even get me started on the squiggles man."

"Squiggles are a perfectly valid form of communication!"

"Not when you insist they mean everything! You can't have magic squiggles, Rob. Magic isn't real."

Kid Flash ducks under a branch as they make their way towards the fountain plaza.

"If you lay off my special squiggle friends then I'll let you jump in from above and knock out the guards," Robin negotiates.

"Deal," Wally says and offers a hand. They shake on it. "Then what will you do?"

"I'll get the gun and then go for Clock King," Robin explains. "What could go wrong?"

"Hey, Rob. Where did Supey and Red Arrow go?"

"They're probably bonding over their rage issues," Robin says with a laugh.

* * *

><p>The first part of the two separate plans that go wrong is Kid Flash falling on top of the henchman with the gun as he jumps from the grapple cord. Kid Flash dog piling on the guard does solve the gun problem, but it also creates a new problem.<p>

In his current state, one boot wrapped under a thick neck and the other sprawled against a massive arm, Wally cannot super-speed the guards away. Running, as Robin notices, requires being upright on two feet.

Robin quickly changes tactics and stops approaching Clock King from behind. The caped hero wildly tosses birdarangs at the other four guards while he leaps to a stop off his own grapple line.

Clock King whirls around from his argument with the cameraman. He spots Robin out in the open and shoots off an angry glare. "So, Robin, you've seen fit to ruin my meticulous plans?"

"Well, my plans aren't going so hot either, Clocky." Robin eyes the area desperately for a new plan of action as the other henchmen begin to awaken while Clock King closes in and Wally wrestles with a guard on the ground.

The harassed cameraman twitches nervously and chooses to comply with the orders of the villain by fixing the live feed.

Clock King suddenly is covered by a cloud of smoke as Red Arrow targets him from behind. He pushes his booted feet into the villain's back and Clock King stumbles down.

"I can't," Roy lets off an arrow at a thug, "believe you guys just jumped in without knowing the plan."

"We had a plan, Red. No one said anything about yours!" Robin rebukes as he downs another mook and ties him up. Wally, as he rubs the new shiner over his left eye, kicks one man in the face with the heel of his boot.

"We'll argue later," Roy yells, "for now, we have to run before…"

The second part that goes wrong is Roy's plan going as planned. Large jets of water and vapor blow up from the wet park plaza and squirt in the faces of Clock King, the five henchmen, fourteen hostages and three assorted heroes.

Everyone is knocked out cold by the time the cameraman bypasses Roy's jam on the feed.

Nine-million people find their broadcasts interrupted to show a live coverage of twenty-three unresponsive bodies in the park as gas and water swirls around them.

Five of those nine-million people are part of the Justice League of America.

The first part of the combined plans that works to anyone's advantage is Superboy who finds the bomb before it can blow up half of the city. Hearing the chaos of Red Arrow gasping before he passes out, Superboy is distracted in his investigation of the ticks of the Clock King's bomb.

Conner is distracted long enough to only have ten seconds left to disarm the device.

Conner glares at the three colors of cords and worries. Roy should have knocked everyone out easily and then had time to spare to move the hostages and criminals. As it stands now, he can't trust his hastily learned deactivation instructions to solve his problems.

Superboy finds the largest open field in the park and holds the bomb close as he huddles against the ground.

The bomb goes off in a roar of flame and smoke and upturned rubble.

The last glitch in their plans is Superboy passing out from the pain shortly thereafter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks to TheWickedWizardOfOZ for Roy's undramatic planning and muscles and a billion other things I've forgotten. Kudos to HarrysGirl1993 for giving me some great ship ideas. Lastly, a shout out to KKCopper for Dick's abuse of a special type of magic.


	5. Red Hot Rage Part Two

**Sheyera and Roy: Red Rot Rage, Part Two**

* * *

><p>Superboy awakens to the sounds of a dull ringing which he's sure is a side effect from the blast. He rolls over and slowly the voices of Superman and Batman become clear.<p>

"The three hostages in the van weren't knocked out by the gas. They attempted to wake the kids up, but…"

"Clock King awoke first and attacked them. That's how he got away," Batman finishes Superman's thought. "You three," he gestures toward Hawkwoman, Hawkman, and Green Lantern, "will search the immediate area until you find him and his hostage while Superman and I deal with the kids."

"On it," Green Lantern replies. A green glow surrounds him as he flies away into the sky. Hawkman turns to Hawkwoman momentarily before frowning and then also taking flight.

Batman squints his masked eyes at Shayera. "Is there something you wanted?"

Hawkwoman folds her arms, her mace swaying to the side, and turns toward the crater that rooms Superboy.

"He's awake," she says simply.

Superman's face constricts as he opens his super-senses to detect Conner's breathing. Superboy sighs heavily and pops open his eyes.

He brushes dirt or rather the charred fabric of his shirt from his now bare chest as he stands. He waves halfheartedly at the older heroes with three fingers.

"Did I miss anything important?" he asks, his voice almost managing to be innocent.

Hawkwoman snorts at his flippancy. "You've got some courage there, Superboy."

Conner's gaze bounces away from the location of his friends far out in the distance to Shayera who now stands beside him.

"Batman can't tear me up worse than I already am."

"I meant for smothering that blow, not smarting off to the Bat," Hawkwoman says with a laugh. She glances at her companion's ever-present scowl. "Well, maybe you're brave for both."

Conner wants to return to starring at his friends who are wrapping each other with gauze and bandages. Instead, he finds himself holding Hawkwoman's green eyes.

Superman debates between making himself scarce now that Superboy is awake or waiting for the inevitable argument. He meets his options half way by choosing to ignore Superboy altogether as he continues his conversation with Batman.

"This whole situation could have been avoided." Superman places his hands on his hips. "Red Arrow and the others should have never tried this by themselves."

Batman nods. "I'd like to agree with you." Batman watches the sharp flinch of Kon's eye. "I'd like to agree with you but first we need to hear their side of the story."

Superboy relaxes immediately at Batman's words.

Hawkwoman points to the sky with her mace. Everyone turns to the approaching green glow. John Stewart has Clock King captured within the bubble of his power ring. Hawkman appears next carrying the hostage newswoman bridal style.

The heroes land and hand off their charges to the emergency personnel. They tensely stand beside each other a moment without words before John motions to go speak with Robin and Kid Flash.

Conner watches as Roy fights off his headache as he trudges over. Superman notices Red Arrow's approach and speeds over to him. He offers Roy a hand to steady him but Roy only growls a 'no thank-you' as he shoves the Boy Scout away.

Superman slowly follows behind Red Arrow as they make their way to Superboy and his crater.

"Report," Batman orders when Roy finally stands beside Conner.

Roy scowls. "I'm not one of your—"

"Clock King is from my city. I don't care where he is. He is always my business." His cape unfurls as he motions towards where Robin and KF still sit. "Furthermore, you brought Dick and Wally with you. Not to mention Superboy."

Superboy frowns at the use of his friends' real names. He isn't sure what this word choice means.

Batman glides a step forward until he's inches away from Red Arrow. "Their presence certainly makes it my business."

Red Arrow tries his hardest to stare down Batman as he replies. "I didn't invite anyone to the party; they crashed."

Superboy suddenly finds Batman's masked face set on him. Kon responds without having to be asked.

"Robin and Kid Flash found a lead on Clock King. They noticed that Red Arrow was looking into it as well so they wanted…to surprise him with a team-up."

"And how do you fit into all this?" Superman butts in.

Conner pauses as he collects himself before speaking. "They refused to tell anyone where they were going so I offered to help."

"You should have told us anyways," Superman insists, "not enabled them by tagging along."

"You're being obtuse, Clark." Hawkwoman tilts back her head and speaks calmly. "If Kon tattles every time then his friends will stop telling him the dangerous stuff and they'll end up more likely to get hurt."

Roy smirks. "That's how I usually handled them," he says. "The plan would have worked if Robin and KF hadn't been messing around."

"Explain," Batman echoes his earlier words; the argument between him and Roy luckily doesn't repeat.

"We rigged it to knock everyone out," Superboy says. "Robin and KF weren't focused and didn't know the plan so they got sprayed by the gas."

"Why didn't you stop them?" Superman questions intently.

"Because," Superboy spits out the word, "I was dealing with the bomb. That was my job."

Batman nods in approval. Roy smirks some more.

"He's the only one who completed his job in the end," Roy compliments.

Superman pretends to not understand that this comment was more for his benefit than Superboy's and waits for the archer to continue speaking.

"I played the hero and tried to get them out of there before it all went up in smoke but," Red Arrow bristles, "I didn't have enough time. They'd alerted the guards and that ruined the plan thoroughly."

Superman decides now is the time to notice Conner's state of undress.

"Maybe you should leave. Batman can hash this out later," he says.

"Would you rather I'd not be here at all? You could just press everyone else for information," Superboy replies coolly.

Superman lets out a deep sigh. "I think it would be better if I'm not here; if you'd excuse me."

Hawkwoman catches him by the arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

Superman's eyes flick from her to Batman and then to her hand on his arm.

"I was leaving." He frowns. "Was there something you needed?"

Shayera keeps her hand firmly atop Superman as she speaks.

"Me? I don't need anything." She lets go of Superman's arm and steps aside. By moving out of the way, Superman is given a clear view to Superboy. He takes the hint.

"I don't…"

Conner scowls. "It's fine. I don't care what you think."

"Yes, you do, Kon," Shayera says as she fiddles with the strap of her mace.

Conner ignores the less than subtle use of his Kryptonian name. It doesn't mean anything. Embracing his background doesn't mean embracing Superman.

Batman stews silently beside Red Arrow, waiting to see where the conversation heads before making a move to intervene.

"He did a good job," Shayera nudges Superman to agree. He refuses to sallow his pride.

"He could have gotten everyone blown up," he reminds.

"He didn't," she says forcefully.

Roy can't stand the drawn out conversation anymore. He grabs Kon by the forearm and pulls him away from the League members.

"Suspense just kills me; action on the other hand..." He cracks a smile to the older heroes. "Superboy, we're leaving. Now."

Superman is the only one surprised when Batman doesn't stop him.

* * *

><p>"B006: Red Arrow, recognized."<p>

Superboy follows Roy far into the cave before he breaks the silence.

"I didn't need your help back there."

Roy regards Kon over his shoulder as he talks. "I didn't really help much anyways if you noticed."

They walk slowly across the cave until they reach the kitchen. Conner rests his back against the island. Roy starts pulling items from the fridge and tossing them to Conner. He catches three jars of pasta sauce moments before they hit the island's lip.

"Oh, please, help yourself," Superboy says with obvious sarcasm. "Since when do you cook?"

Roy twirls a frying pan by its handle. "I can't," he says evenly, "doesn't mean I won't try."

Conner sighs deeply. "I much prefer M'gann making me into her food tester over you."

Roy dumps the cans of pasta sauce in the pan. Once he turns his back, he speaks.

"So...we're talking about Megan now?"

"Looks like it," Conner says with a shrug. "Too soon?"

Roy cringes. "We were a miscalculation on my part." He stirs the red sauce with a wooden spoon. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he finishes lamely.

"You have a funny way of showing it."

The redhead fill a heavy pot with water. He places it in front of Conner. "Could you?"

Kon frowns. "No, I cannot boil your water with heat vision."

The older teen nods absentmindedly. "It was worth a shot." He lights a burner and places the pot over the red hot flame.

Roy doesn't speak for a long while. He finishes the pasta without speaking at all.

Conner growls.

"Roy, come on. Are we here to talk or is this a really terrible first date?" he demands as he pulls Roy's plate of food out from under him.

Conner begins to eat Roy's food while making happy noises as he takes each bite.

"This is good," he says during a mouthful, "You should really try some."

Roy rolls his eyes. "No thanks. I'm watching my carbs."

Conner finishes the whole plate before Roy cracks.

"I have issues, okay? I wasn't ready for anyone to try to be with me. I was an idiot," he eyes Conner forking the last cherry tomato, "and I am really sorry I hurt her."

Conner turns the tomato around on his fork and eyes it contemplatively. He pulls it off the fork and tosses it to Roy.

Roy refuses to catch it and it rolls to the floor. "I'm not a trained seal, you jerk."

Kon watches as Roy bends over and picks up the tomato. He rubs it against his shirt and pops it into his mouth.

"Right," Conner says, "because you're way classier than the average animal."

"Stop giving me a hard time," Roy makes himself another plate of pasta, "It's_ my_ job to give everyone else a hard time."

"Even Superman?" Conner chews on the syllables of the name until it's worn out like a piece of smoked jerky.

"Yes, even _Superman_," Roy contends, "because no one else is doing a good job about it."

"He's my problem, Roy. Hold your temper for once and let me deal with him."

"Really? You didn't seem so angry that Hawkwoman was taking up your case," Roy points out his hypocrisy.

Conner waves him off. "She's not my friend. She doesn't understand everything like you do. She was just trying to help."

"Admit it," Roy snarls, "you liked it a whole lot. The way her voice rose as she demanded action. The way she stood there playing with the strap of her mace just to remind us that it's there and she knows how to use it. The way she grabbed his arm and held him back. It's all one big, fucking turn on to you."

Conner drops the dishes he into the sink and they clatter.

"Well, yeah, Roy. Maybe it is. Red hot rage, you know? It was a really nice show she was putting on for me."

The redhead flinches and lays his balled fists across the counter.

"Roy, I was thinking you'd understand," Conner continues. "Don't you like it when people just move pass.." Conner takes one step closer to his friend and then another until they're glaring steel gaze to steel gaze. "-the suspense? Don't you like," Conner dares to lean in another inch; they are breathing the same hot, stale air, "getting straight to the action?"

Roy flinches and moves out of Conner's way. "If she's such a turn on then why don't go talk to her, huh?"

Conner fold his arms across his chest. "Maybe I will."

Roy snorts. "Fine."

"Fine," Conner echoes.

"Fine."

"Yes, it's fine. I'm glad we figured that out." Conner begins to head towards the exit. He pulls on his black jacket.

"Where are you going?" Roy demands. He follows Conner as he glides through the cave.

"To find Haw-Shayera. I'm going to find Shayera."

Roy stops in his tracks. "Fine."

"Good," Conner agrees.

"Fine," Roy repeats.

Conner turns to leave.

"She's too old for you," Roy calls out to the younger teen as he exits.

A loud and forceful voice sends back a response.

"I bet that younger men just really turn her on."

Roy hears the sound of a bike taking off and kicking up gravel. Roy hears the sound of _his_ bike taking off and kicking up gravel.

"Shit," he curses to the room empty of every thing but red sauce stained dishes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I think there's going to be two more chapters of this storyline.


End file.
